Reality television personality Joe Amabile revealed to the public that he is recovering at home following surgery to remove an early-stage brain tumor, according to statements shared by the star on social media. The 40-year-old former contestant, widely known by fans from his appearances across the Bachelor franchise, underwent a craniotomy at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center after routine screening uncovered a small growth.
Amabile first gained widespread public attention during the fourteenth season of The Bachelorette in 2018, where viewers affectionately dubbed him “Grocery Store Joe.” He subsequently returned to television screens on multiple iterations of Bachelor in Paradise and competed on Dancing with the Stars. In 2022, he married Serena Pitt, whom he met while filming the franchise’s summer spin-off series.
The medical journey began when Amabile underwent a full-body scan, which included Prenuvo imaging results that initially flagged an unexpected abnormality. Subsequent magnetic resonance imaging scans confirmed the presence of a blueberry-sized lesion located within the brain tissue. Medical professionals identified the mass as an early-stage glioma, prompting immediate surgical intervention to excise the tumor and perform further laboratory pathology testing.
Medical Discovery and Treatment at Memorial Sloan Kettering
Detailing the diagnosis on his official Instagram account, Amabile explained the timeline of events that led to his scheduled operation. According to the reality star, the discovery came as a complete shock after routine preventative screening revealed the internal lesion.
“So a little medical update. I didn’t share my Prenuvo results because they ended up finding a lesion in my brain. So then I had to go get a brain MRI, and there was a blueberry-sized lesion in my brain that looks to be a glioma, which is a tumor,” Amabile stated in his video update, as reported by the Daily Mail.
Gliomas represent a classification of primary brain tumors that originate in the glial cells, which surround and support neurons within the central nervous system. Medical data indicates that low-grade gliomas often require careful monitoring or surgical resection, known as debulking, depending on the specific cellular characteristics and growth rate determined by biopsy.
Amabile underwent the craniotomy procedure at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Posting on social media ahead of the operation, he wrote, “This past month has been a lot of ups and downs to say the least. After multiple scans and MRIs I have what looks to be an early stage brain tumor. In two weeks I’ll be undergoing a craniotomy to have it removed — yeah brain surgery — @memorialsloankettering.”
Support From Family and Franchise Peers
Following the disclosure of his diagnosis, Amabile received an outpouring of supportive messages from fans, close friends, and fellow alumni of the television franchise. His wife, Serena Pitt, publicly rallied behind her husband on social media, writing in a comment, “You’re so strong and we’re going to get through this together. I love you.”
Amabile expressed gratitude for the robust network of family and friends surrounding him throughout the process, noting that he chose to share the news publicly because the health challenge had become an integral part of his life.
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